1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method to detect a Chlamydia infection. More particularly, this invention relates to the discovery of a genus specific antigen of Chlamydia psittaci strain DD-34 that can be used to make antibodies which diagnostically identify strains of both Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia trachomatis, while not cross-reacting with other species.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chlamydia are unique organisms that infect a susceptible host by an infectious particle called an elementary body. An elementary body is small, approximately (350 nm) and is resistant to environmental factors. The organism attaches itself to the host cell and is ingested by a phagocytic process. Schachter, J., Overview of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection and Requirements for a Vaccine, Rev. Inf. Dis. 7:713 (1985).
Chlamydia are of medical and biological interest because of their unique interaction with eukaryotic host cells, and the diverse diseases they cause in man and animals. Blobel, H., T. Schlieber, Handbuch der bacteriellen Infection bei Tieren. Gustav Fisher Verlag Stuttgart, p. 447 (1985). Animals susceptible to Chlamydia psittaci infections are widely distributed in the animal kingdom, ranging from wild and domesticated birds and mammals to man. These infections have been identified as a cause of pneumonia, enteritis, encephalitis, conjunctivitis, and polyarthritis; abortions and genital disorders; and clinically unapparent infections. Blobel, H., T. Schlieber, Handbuch der bacteriellen Infection bei Tieren. Gustav Fisher Verlag Stuttgart, p. 447 (1985). Although Chlamydia psittaci is considered to be primarily a pathogen of animals other than man several strains have shown varying degrees of zoonotic potential. Filstein, M. R., Ley, A. B., Vernon, M. S., Goffney, A., Glickmen, L. T. Epidemic of Psittacosis in a College of Veterinary Medicine. Jour. of Vet. Med. p. 569-872 (Sep. 15, 1981). Fraiz, J. R., Jones, B., Chlamydial Infections. Ann. Rev. Med. 39:357-70 (1988). Fudge, A. M. Update on Chlamydiosis. Vet. Clin. of N. Amer. Small Animal Practice. 14(2):201-21 (March 1984). Johnson, F. W. A., Matheson, B. A., Williams, H., Laing, A. G., Jandial, V., Davidson-Lamb, R., Halliday, G. J., Hobson, D., Wong, S. Y., Hadley, K. M., Moffat, M. A. J., Poslethwaite, R. Abortion Due to Infection with Chlamydia psittaci in Sheep Farmer's Wife. British Med. Jour. 290:592-94 (Feb. 23, 1985). Moran, R. Epidemiologic and Laboratory Observation of Chlamydia psittaci Infections in Pet Birds. Jour. of Amer. Vet. Med. Assn. 184(11):1372-4 (Jun. 1, 1984). Nagington, J. Psittacosis/Ornithosis in Cambridgeshire. 1975-1983. Jour. Hyg. Camb. 92:9-19. Yung, A. P., Grayson, M. L., Psittacosis--a Review of 135 Cases. The Med. Jour. of Australia 148:228-33 (Mar. 7, 1988). Favero, M. S., Biological Hazards in the Laboratory. Lab. Med., 18(10):665-70 (October 1987). Filstein, M. R., Ley, A. B., Vernon, M. S., Goffney, A., Glickman, L. T. Epidemic of Psittacosis in a College of Veterinary Medicine. J. Vet. Med. p. 569-72 (Sep. 15, 1981). Fraiz, J. R., Jones, B. Chlamydial Infections. Ann. Rev. Med. 39:357-70 (1988). A Chlamidia strain that affects man is termed Chlamydia trachmomatis.
Chlamydial infections are recognized in at least 130 species of birds and the transmission from birds to man is well documented. Various strains of Chlamydia psittaci are well recognized as causing disease syndromes in a wide variety of mammalian species and Chlamydia psittaci infections in humans have been epidemiologically linked to many of these sources. Fudge, A. M., Update on Chlamydiosis. Vet. Clin. of N. Amer. Small Animal Practice, 14(2):201-21 (March 1984). Moran, R., Epidemiologic and Laboratory Observation of Chlamydia psittaci Infections in Pet Birds. Jour. of Amer. Vet. Med. Assn. 184(11):1372-4 (Jun. 1, 1984). Nagington, J. Psittacosis/Ornithosis in Cambridgeshire. 1975-1983. Jour. Hyg. Camb. 92:9-19.
Infections with Chlamydia may produce a minimal antibody response, so low that it may be undetected; also tetracycline markedly reduces the antibody response. Storz, J., Chlamydia and Chlamydia-Induced Diseases. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Ill. p. 5-287 (1971). Because of these two factors the numbers of cases of Chlamydia psittaci may be greatly underestimated. Nagington, J. Psittacosis/Ornithosis in Cambridgeshire. 1975-1983. Jour. Hyg. Camb. 92:9-19. It is therefore important to have a relatively rapid and dependable antigen test for this pathogen. Most commercially available Chlamydial antigen tests for both Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia psittaci probe for the genus specific lipopolysaccharide which occupies a relatively small portion of outer membrane.
The present invention relates to the discovery of another genus specific polypeptide that can be used to diagnostically identify strains of Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia psittaci.